Another £100,000 Fantasy Garage

My colleague has sent me his fantasy garage with the set £100,000 budget. It contains some interesting cars, all of which are fantastic driving machines.

Sports Car

2005/6 Aston Martin V8 Vantage 4.3:-

Everything about Aston Martin exudes beauty: The perfectly muscular, handsome, and yet beautifully sculpted and curved body. The premium interior clad in high quality leather and the brutal and intoxicating exhaust note from the soulful V8 engine make the Vantage one of the most lusted after sports cars. You will find a 2005/6 example for sale with around 50k miles for £30,000. Bargain?

Budget Remaining: £70,000

Roadster/Cabriolet

2012 981 Porsche Boxster 2.7:-

The Boxster has always been criticised for looking the same at both ends. The new 981 generation looks a lot fresher and has stepped away from trying to look like a 911. Like the Porsche Cayman, the Boxster is mid-engined meaning a low centre of gravity creating razor sharp handling, and tonnes of grip. 265 bhp means it has ample power to sufficiently dial into and enjoy the chassis dynamics. A high end interior taking styling cues from the 991 911 makes the Boxster feel more exquisite than it ever has. A fabulous car which early 2012 models with 10-15k miles can be found at circa £35,000.

Budget Remaining: £35,000

Hot Hatch

2008 Renaultsport Clio 197:-

The definitive super-mini. The French have always excelled in the hot hatch market. Suspension and chassis set ups are their forte. To get the best from the 194 bhp 2 litre engine you have to rev it out, but that’s part of the fun of this car. Cornering is extremely flat, with very little or no understeer (depending on how committed you are) – don’t be alarmed if it cocks its leg. With the Cup chassis, ride is harsh but a tighter line through corners is guaranteed. A 2008 car with 50-70 thousand miles will set you back roughly £6,000.

Budget Remaining: £29,000

Family Wheels

2013 BMW 330d Xdrive:-

Going over budget slightly here, Chris has chosen BMW’s four wheel drive 3 litre diesel 3 series as his practical family runabout. With 254 bhp on offer, it is plenty fast with a tremendous torque figure of 413 lbs ft. The four wheel drive is said to be very good indeed and although rear biased, when the tail becomes unstuck, the front axle neutralises the balance into that which is easy to correct. As the car is just under £40,000 new, examples haven’t dipped below £30,000 yet. Expect to pay £32-35k for a 2013 car with up to 5,000 miles showing.